Pyra's Choice
by Greensleeves
Summary: About a girl who stole into the magical world, and the events and people who stole her heart.
1. Disclaimer

I don't own Harry Potter or any of it's characters, settings or ideas - I wish! - and I don't claim to. I made up Pyra myself, and um... yeah. Enjoy! 


	2. Chapter One For Real This Time

Pyra looked about her, at the bustling scene that was Kings Cross Station. It was a busy day, the first of September by her reckoning, and more people than ever were passing through.  
  
She didn't question this until she realised that way too many people were going in, past her, and disappearing around platform ten, which was funny, for there wasn't even a train there at the moment, and only a small group were waiting for it to arrive.  
  
She noticed a strange group hurrying past, like they were going to miss their train, but there wasn't one there, and the one at platform nine had just left. There were seven of them, a woman with fiery hair, and three boys obviously her sons, plus a daughter, as well as another boy, with black hair, and a girl whose hair was brown and bushy.  
  
She saw that they had a few owls with them, and that was very unusual too, because how many people have pet owls?  
  
Knowing they wouldn't notice her, Pyra followed them, and watched as they stopped at a barrier between platforms nine and ten, and the two older boys, with red, leant against it, as the lady looked around, before saying something to the boys, who promptly disappeared. With a start, she looked closer, as the woman and red-haired girl leant against it and disappeared too!  
  
As the three remaining ones vanished, Pyra ran up to the barrier, and looked to be sure no one was watching her, before placing a trembling hand against it. The stone was cool, and completely solid.  
  
But, they went through it... She thought worriedly, and thought how it could have been possible.  
  
Suddenly, the rush of the last few days became too much for her, and she leant on it, much like they had, closing her eyes, and trying to cope with the rush of feeling that bombarded her as she thought about it. But before she could even begin to sort through the issues, she stumbled backwards, and when she regained her balance and looked around, she was shocked by what she saw.  
  
The stonework was replaced with a wrought iron gate, through which even now a small family walked, a man and lady with a girl of about twelve. Behind her, a large, red and black train loomed, spouting smoke and whistling merrily, as a man shouted, impossibly loud, the last call for the Hogwarts Express. The sign above her head read 'Platform 9 ¾', and people were bustling about, lifting heavy trunks onto the train, or saying goodbye, or waving through the windows.  
  
She noticed a few people walking about in strange-looking black robes, waving short, thin pieces of wood about... and almost laughed. It looked like someone thrown some sort of elaborate costume party, right in the heart of London. Or maybe this was a movie set she had unwittingly stumbled upon?  
  
Curious, Pyra walked forward, and climbed aboard the train, entering the nearest compartment and kneeling on the seat to stare out the window.  
  
She could see a large clock, and at that moment the hands reached eleven o'clock, and the train began to move forward, slowly, picking up speed.  
  
Wide-eyed, Pyra watched as she left the scene behind, and it wasn't until they were out into the countryside that she realised what she'd done.  
  
She'd stowed away on a train, and was heading to goodness-knew-where with a bunch of weirdos or actors, she still wasn't sure which.  
  
A moment later the door slid open, and a boy poked his head in.  
  
"Would you mind if we sat here? There really aren't any other seats."  
  
She nodded, and looked back out the window, but not before noticing that they were the black-haired boy and red-headed girl from before.  
  
"What's your name?" The girl asked suddenly, "I don't think I know you. You must be a fifth-year, right? Harry's fifteen, and you look about his age."  
  
"I'm Pyra Featherstone," She said awkwardly, "I'm fifteen too."  
  
"I'm Ginny Weasley, and this is Harry Potter."  
  
"Are you sure you're a fifth-year?" Harry asked her, looking at her strangely, "I don't recognise you."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I am."  
  
"Where's your stuff?"  
  
"My mother had it sent ahead ages ago, I don't think she trusts anybody any more," She bluffed, hoping he'd believe her, "She has mental issues," She added, tapping the side of her head knowingly. Harry and Ginny nodded.  
  
She turned back to the scene flying past them, and ignored them for another hour, until the door opened again and in walked the younger of the red- headed boys, and the girl with brown hair.  
  
"We just have to patrol the corridors from time to time," Said the boy as he walked in, "I hope I catch Crabbe and Goyle doing something so I can punish them."  
  
"Ron!" Admonished the girl, "You can't bend the rules, you can't abuse your power!"  
  
"Just because Malfoy isn't going to. Besides, I'm not going to. I just wanna get his friends before he gets mine. Who's that?" He asked suddenly, seeing Pyra.  
  
"That's Pyra Featherstone," Harry said, "Pyra, meet Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, my best friends."  
  
Pyra looked at them, nodded, then stared back out the window. Their conversation provided a soothing background to Pyra, once she tuned out their voices, and she felt herself growing drowsy, in fact she nearly fell asleep before the door opened once again, and she heard a cold and irritating voice fill the small room.  
  
"Hello, Potter. How do you feel, being second to Weasley? Must hurt. And who's this? A new friend? Another Mudblood?"  
  
I heard Ron growl, and looked around to see a strangely handsome boy there, with slicked-back white-blonde hair and a pointed chin.  
  
"Watch it, Malfoy," Ron hissed between clenched teeth, fists balling and unballing at his sides.  
  
"What, aren't you going to introduce me?"  
  
"I can speak for myself," Pyra answered him, and he grinned malignantly at her.  
  
"Well, at least you have mastery of your tongue," He replied.  
  
Pyra felt her eyes narrow at him, instantly she knew she would not like this boy, whatever his name be.  
  
"I'm Draco Malfoy," He said, holding out his hand to her, "And I don't think you should be wasting your time with the likes of these. Come with me, I can show you power."  
  
"I'm Pyra Featherstone," She replied coldly, looking at his hand.  
  
"It's rude not to shake hands when one is offered," He said to her, and she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'd rather kiss a frogs arse," She spat. He glowered, and stepped forward, pulling out his wand. He began to say something, but the wand flew from his grasp and into Pyra's. She swing it in front of him tauntingly, and, enraged, he drew back a hand, as if to strike her.  
  
"Try it," She suggested to him, so he hit her across the face, hard.  
  
Instantly, Ron and Harry leapt on him, Ginny and Hermione dragging on their clothes as the two thug-like boys behind Draco stepped forward too, but Draco's cry of pain stopped everyone short.  
  
He was looking down at his hand, where a mark was glowing, like a burn, in a curious shape. It looked very like the circle within a half-circle, atop a cross, the astrological symbol for the planet Pluto.  
  
"So sorry," Pyra said, but he was already backing away, horrified.  
  
"I- you're gonna get it for this! Just as soon as we get to Hogwarts, I'm gonna report you..."  
  
Muttering in shock, he and his cronies left.  
  
The inhabitants of the compartment looked at Pyra in shock.  
  
"Are you mad?" Ron breathed, "You'll get expelled for sure! What did you do to him, anyway?"  
  
"He's only burnt. It won't hurt for that long, and less time if he has the sense to run it under cold water. Although it'll probably leave a scar..."  
  
"But - why?" Harry asked.  
  
"Why what?" Pyra replied, totally confused.  
  
"Why hurt him?" Ginny guessed, but Hermione shook her head.  
  
"No. Why was he burnt? You shouldn't be using magic - but anyway, I didn't see your wand anywhere."  
  
Pyra looked down at her clothing. It was pretty sparse, really, a short dress in the colours of fire, reds and oranges, her long blonde hair springing headless down her back, as they all nodded at Hermione's words, either thoughtfully or accusingly. 


End file.
